


Because, That's How The Stories Always Go.

by qaz92



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Best Friends, F/M, Kidnapping, M/M, Moral Ambiguity, Morally Ambiguous Character, Multi, Polyamory, Whump, but she ends up being cool wif it, itll happen eventually
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 11:40:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29650761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/qaz92/pseuds/qaz92
Summary: The Villain and his minion await the Hero's arrival. A knew king is crowned and goodbyes are left unsaid.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this has been bouncing around in my head since like day two of kinktober last year. I accidentally tripped onto some like, actually good characters with an interesting dynamic and fun story? Wild, i was just trying to be horny but now i want to tell a story about rpg tropes.
> 
> anyways, here's a short and bitter sweet prolog if I ever continue this, or a self contained tragedy if I don't. Either way this can be read and enjoyed all on it own.

An adventuring party lead by the fated hero of this land trecked accros the scorched earth beneath the red moonlight. The smell of rot and char and burned blood filled the searing air between the cragly cliff faces. Twisted roots and branches, now more charcoal than wood caught on their clothes and gear as they pushed on ward down this path towards their shared destinies. The cracking and snapping as each delicate piece of destruction as it fell from its trunk joined the marching footsteps through the cinder and ash. 

Twisted approximations of people and animals shambled in the distance, barely hidden by the thick, putrid yellow of the sulphurous smog that drifted from cracks in the ground. The Villain's influence burned all around them and twisted the world and everything in it to match his hellish nature.

This was once an idealic place, a sprawling verdant valley with a beautiful white stone castel at its center. That was where the princess, the beautiful and noble future queen of this land, had been sent to keep her safe from the encroaching vile destruction rought at The Demons Kings hands. Only for his forces to have invaded this land and taken her hostage as a putrid bid for power. 

They had demanded that the true and righteous king give up the land their bile had seeped into in exchange for his only child's life. In bloody ink and spat words The Villain had threatened to kill her and feed her to the the six eyed bull-wolf monster that stood at his right hand, or crueler yet, to make her the beasts wife, or perhaps even his own if he was feeling particularly mean, if his demented demands were not met.

The Hero and his party trudged onward, ever closer to the center of this plight. To the princess, to her captor, to the Villain of this story. Unbeknownst to them though, their every step was being watched by the burning crows that cawed and croaked overhead, their ruby eyes cutting through the smog to track every step.

\---

The Villain watched from within his throne room, the simple dark metal hand mirror that acted as his view to this scene was clutched tight in his white knuckle grip. He kept his sholders square as he watched the march, his face neautral, but he knew what was coming. 

His hands shook, his gut turned itself inside out, the fire that ran in his veins seemingly died and left him cold to his very core. 

He flicked his wrist to change the view, a final check over of everything he'd built. His people cowered from the path they had suspected the Hero and his party would take, their store rooms were full, their defenses ready. The Villain tried to unclench hks jaw, they were all so scared. They were all in so much danger. 

He had to protect them. That was what he promised to do. To keep them safe from a world that scorned their ilk. He had failed so spectacularly. How many had died to protect this infant kingdom? How many had nobly, foolishly, bravely, stood between The Hero and The Villain? How many had been slain? How many would be in the aftermath of this? Would there be another cull? How many parents would live just long enough to see their children die? 

They were in danger, and it was his fault. He wasn't strong enough, or clever enough. He wasn't enough to keep them safe.

But, maybe, just maybe he could buy them time. Allow another fire wrought ruler to take his place as protector. To keep them all alive just a little bit longer.

A hand, Heavy and bulky rested on his shoulder, only his thick cape kept it from being burned as his turmoil made his skin glow with searing heat.

"Minion," The Villain said as he set aside the mirror, turning to look at the goliath of a monster he called his best friend, "Promise me something," His own hand came to rest on the back of Minion's, spindly stark ash white fingers that were barely cool enough to stand, against shiny and thick black and rust red fur,

"Anything," Minion said without thought, "But know I am bad at promises," His voice was heavy, a deep baritone that rumbled through his chest, carryimg the sorrow that was held their out with it, 

"Be a better king than I was," his own voice was cold, all the fire gone from it. He had done his mourning alone in his private rooms earlier, with one of Minion's shirts clutched tight to his chest. Now he just needed to be strong one last time,

"You ask impossible things of me," Minion snorted his almost pitch black eyes found the Villain's fire blues, "I can stay, We could fight them together-" he was always earnest, but now the force behind his conviction could burn hotter than even The Villain could,

"Then we would both be killed, and I would spend my last moments grieving," Villain sighed. He's seen his friend fall to those heros too many times to have any hope that he would survive another encounter. Villain wouldn't allow his own selfish desire to not be alone while facing his execution be what kills Minion.

Villain pulls his hand away, before slowly reaching with both to remove the crown from his head.

It was a circle of twistend and melted sword blades that he had forged for himself when he declared himself future king of this land, blood drenched and victorious. The tarnish on its surface evaporated as it turned red then white hot. The hard metal melting in his heated hands as he shaped it. The circle had fit him perfectly, it would sit nicely just behind his horns as a twisted accent to them. But it would have been far too small for Minion's skull. So he bent and twisted it until it was perfect again, now a half circle that could rest above his broad horns without interfering with his bovine ears or the pair of eyes that sat the highest on his face.

"Take this and go to your people, my friend, give them my apologies and your strength," He spoke while he finalized the shape, "If you do not think you can be a better king than I, then at least promise to be one that sees happier times and many, many more years," He took a breath before turning to look his friend in the eye, "Now kneel for me one last time," 

Minion's breath was choppy as silent oily tears stained the sides of his muzzle. Still, he knelt before the throne with his head bowed, not another word passing between his fangs. Even like this, hunched forward on one knee, he was almost a full hand taller than Villain.

Villain sapped the heat from the crown, setting it into its new shape and cooling it enough to not burn as it was placed, "The land shall recognize its new king," he set it between Minion's horns, his hands hesitating for a moment before drifting from the now cold metal to cup the sides of Minion's face, the fur here beneath his six eyes was silk beneath the former king's fingers. 

Memories flooded him of the days spent with a pair of scissors between them as they tried to tame the thick beard that seemed determined to make a home here against Minion's wishes, and the laughter as they struggled to clean up the choppy edges, and the unavoidable bald spots that always cropped up do to Minion's inability to sit still, and Villain's imprecision. 

"The people shall love you as much as I do," He brushed the tears away as Minion shook with a barely contained sob.

How many times have they spoken their love to each other? Whispers of desire hidden behind their genuine and iron strong friendship, 

"You shall be victorious in all you attempt," Villain guided his friend to lean forward just enough for Villain to press a barely there kiss to the top of his snout as he passed on his final blessing before stepping away, 

"Go now, go to your people and keep them safe. When you return… Let someone else handle the mess you will find, I couldn't bare to know I left you to sob over my corpse," Villain said, he sat the throne again, decidedly careful to look anywhere other than the hulking and devastated beast before him. He needed to be strong. He couldn't cry. Not now, not ever again.

Eventually Minion stood, his hooves scraping against the stone floors, "Rest well, when it happens." He said with shaky words, "You will be remembered, I will make sure of it," with that final promise he turned and left. Only stopping at the door to say one last thing before shutting the Villain in this tomb, "I love you,"

The door shut, the sound echoing theough the room like a thunder clap as the Villain's composure broke. He wiped at his eyes, furious with the hot red streaks that were surely staining his skin. No, no, no. 

He needed to be strong. He needed to do this. He couldn't break now. Couldn't run to Minion and sob into the fur on his friends chest. Villain was always going to die. He was always going to be defeated by his fated enemy. But still, fear pulled at every inch of him. 

He sobbed into his hands, staining his palms blood red. He had everything he ever wanted. A kingdom that was thriving, people that respected him, friends, a home, someone that he'd carve his own heart out for. And none of that mattered. 

Because He would be dead before sunrise.

Because, that's how the stories always go.


	2. Chapter 2

The Villain checked the Hero's progress again as he took the flight of stairs two at a time. The euphoria his death would bring to his enemies would only be a short distraction. He needed safe guards. He needed to at least feel like his end had a long lasting benefit before he went to his execution.

This tower was annoyingly tall, were he not saving his magic he would have floated himself up, but now his thighs were aching bad enough he might damn well do it anyways. How cruel could fate be? Making him get his cardio in before he got rammed through.

Eventually though he reaches the old oak door at the very top. Though once a prison, this door was rarely ever locked. The captive beyond it was usually content to be left to her endless projects instead of attempting escape nowadays. Of course the Princess was welcome to wander anywhere on the castle grounds, but still she chose to spend her time up here. Maybe it was for the same reason Villain usually floated himself up that she stayed put, maybe she just liked the view of her home just barely peaking over the destroyed horizon.

He knocks, and then enters without waiting for a response. His captive was plenty used to him barging in by now, to the point that she often laid harmless traps in front of the door to catch him out so that they both could have a laugh.

She grinned as he entered. The Princess had a massive bundle of fabric in her sturdy brown hands, doubtless one of the many projects she'd undertaken in the year or so she's been here. 

"Asshole!" she exclaimed, her soil black eyes glittering in the pink and purple candlelight she liked to decorate he rooms with. At one point her nickname for him had been an insult intended to show disrespect when he didn't give her a proper name to call him by, but now it was another little artifact of their carefully grown friendship,

"Ive Done it. You know that ancient sigil book you gave me? I figured out how to use some of them and I made something for Minion," she held the piece up with her hands high above her head, letting the massive garment unfurl with the length that surpassed her height thwumping to the floor, "This cloak should make him entirely fire proof while he wears it and give him increased strength. It'll also make lightning magic stronger, but that one is just because I wanted more practice with those before I put them on that petticoat I was working on," She peaked around its width to guage his response, 

"Beautifully done," Villain wanted to smile, truly it was a work befitting a god and she deserved all the praise he could manage, "You will have to wait to give it to him. Now, pack it with your things. They will be arriving a few days after you do, but makesure to tell whoever you need too that they're coming. I'd hate for something of yours to be destroyed because of someones mistrust of where they're coming from," Villain strolled through the room, trying to put on his usual air of unaffected smugness. 

He would miss the days spent talking magic and gossip with this queen to be. He felt that in another life where they met on better, or at least more diplomatic circumstances, that she might have been His future queen. Someone to serve as an advisor, if not as a husband.

"What? Wait, wait, wait," she said as his words and mood caught up with her, "Did you and Daddy finally come to a deal?" she asked, her smile somehow growing more incandescent as she clutched the cloak to her chest, "I'm going home?" 

Villain never wanted to hurt her, her vibrant and eager joy was always something he felt needed to be preserved like any other delicate work of art, "Your father and I didn't come to a deal," he says as he pulls one of the little trinkets from her shelf, a piece of Fulgurite thats been carved into a delicate little snail, "You're Hero will be here soon. I had suspected he would be stopped, he wasn't, and now he's about an hour out, maybe a little more. You are going home, just… Not in the way I would have liked," 

"You think-" she didn't finish her own sentence, Villain could practically hear the smile drop from her face as the realization hit, "No, absolutely not, No. I- You can't be serious?"

"I am," he sighed as he put the little snail back in its place, "I know I am unlikely to win. Minion has already been crowned my successor, and everything has been readied for the battle. I'm sorry I kept this from you, I just didn't want to give you time to stress yourself out," He stole a glance over his shoulder at her, and regretted it as soon as he did, "This should be a joyful day for you," he said lamely as he went back to futzing with the trinkets, "Your side won, Your hero will be coming through the gates soon to take you back to your own castle. You'll see your father again, he's getting rather old, so truly I must apologize for keeping you from him for so long, at his age-"

"You promised," She said simply as he cut off his rambling, "You Promised that we would be allies, And that our kingdoms would thrive side by side,"

"I'm a Villain," he snorted, "Lying and failing promises is kind of what we're known for. Minion will still be here, so will most of what I've built, but only if you can lend a little aid of your own," 

"What?" 

"You will be queen soon, use that to protect Minion's people from yours. Allow no culls, order no executions. Let my death be the end of this wretched little war," He knew he'd let his entire burn to close to the surface when a shard of dagger blade turned red hot at his touch. He pulled his hands away and crossed them behind his back to prevent further damages, "Please," he added, genuinely despite it being an afterthought,

She sighed from behind him, "I'd offer to fight with you," Princess said as fabric rustled, a moment later Villain felt her arms wrap around him. The runes hummed as they reacted to the heat curling off of his skin.

He turned to return the embrace, resting his chin on top of her braided hair and letting his hands fist in the thick fabric of the cloak she had made. Of course he trusted her sigil work and knew it would keep her safe. Still, it was nice surprise to finally hug someone without fear of burning them, or having to focus on keeping his skin cool enough.

"But you know that will only make things worse. Either you die and this kingdom would be wiped from the map as revenge or you live and every kind word you have to say of us is thought to mean I'm influencing you from beyond the grave," 

"Is this good bye?" 

"It is, for now at least,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yehaw its 7 am and i need to go to bed

**Author's Note:**

> if you made it this far, im curious, would you like to see this continued? it wont be a very happy story, see "the hero and the villain" on my account for a like, preview. none of thats canon anymore but that fic is roughly the vibes id be trying to hit. though this would be a fair bit less horny, so really only that last chapter is a good example. Anyways, I promise a happy ending if we get there.


End file.
